The relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and tendency to addiction of male and female students

Background: Individuals with high EI are less likely to require cognitive efforts for solving EI problems. Conversely, individuals who lack the ability of emotional regulation are more likely to be influenced by environmental factors. Objective: This article aimed to study the relationship between the Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Tendency to Addiction and compare EI of male and female students. This is an applied, comparative, and correlational study. Method: The statistical population consisted of all male and female students of 2nd grade of high school in the academic year of 2014-2015. A total of 380 students (180 male and 180 female) were enrolled as the sample using multi-stage random sampling. The data were collected using two questionnaires: Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and Addiction Potential Scale (APS). Result: Descriptive statistics were employed. For the hypothesis testing, MANOVA and Pearson correlation were concurrently used. The results showed that a significant difference was found between male and female students in terms of EI and its components (appraisal and expression of emotion, regulation of emotion, and utilization of emotion). Discussion: Female students obtained higher EI scores. Thus, individuals who are not capable of controlling their EI skills are more likely to tend to addiction. Conclusion: EI and its components have a significant relationship with a tendency to addiction.